Against All Odds
by Shayna Leigh
Summary: Against all odds – and his own better judgment – James Potter has landed the title of Hogwarts Head Boy. Now, with a slew of new responsibilities, and the threat of Voldemort looming, James Potter is closer than ever to finally winning the girl of his dreams. But with Lily Evans nothing is ever that simple.
1. Chapter 1

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter 1: Girlfriend**

"Sorry I'm late," James said, entering the private compartment on the Hogwarts Express reserved for the Head Boy and Girl. "Sirius forgot his caldron – and practically all of his potions ingredients – and then Mum wanted a picture of me in my badge."

At the name "Sirius" Lily Evans looked up, surprised to find herself face-to-face with a very disheveled-looking James Potter.

"Badge?" she questioned slowly, raising a perfectly threaded eyebrow as the boy who'd tormented her existence these past six years at Hogwarts began to set down his trunk on one of the compartment shelves, no doubt intending to intrude upon the only Marauder-free moment of solace she was likely to have this year. "Since when does the Quidditch Captain get his own badge?"

"He doesn't," James smirked, straightening his shoulders and adjusting the badge on his chest so Lily could get a good look.

As Lily finally caught sight of the gleaming gold crest, she froze, stunned. It simply wasn't possible that James Potter was this year's Head Boy. Frankly, the idea was outrageous. James Potter was the biggest troublemaker in Hogwarts. Sure, he was smart. Possibly even brilliant, despite his disinterest and utter lack of effort. But he was also pigheaded, and rebellious, and an absolute ass, even on his good days.

"Well," James said slowly, interrupting Lily's thoughts and taking a seat on the bench beside her. "Aren't you going to Congratulate me? Remus tells me this is quite the honor."

"Remus," Lily said slowly, snapping out of her reverie. "He must be devastated!"

Of all the Gryffindor boys, Lily had always had a soft spot for studious Remus Lupin, who – despite his status as a so-called "Marauder" – was one of the most sincere and genuine boys that Lily had ever encountered.

James shuffled slightly and, for an instant, Lily thought her mention of Remus had made him uncomfortable. But in the next moment, James seemed to recover his senses and quickly replaced his frown with a confident smile.

"Nah," James said. "He's happy for me. Now, Snivelly on the other hand—"

"You know, he has a _name_," Lily interjected.

"Yes," James agreed dismissively. "But just because he has one, doesn't mean I have to use it."

"No," Lily countered. "But I thought you'd moved past all that. I guess you haven't grown up as much as you think."

"I've grown up plenty," James replied, loosening his already crooked tie. "It's just that I tend not to have much respect for Death Eaters."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Just because he's a Slytherin—"

"Doesn't mean he's a Death Eater," James finished. "I get it, OK? You don't have to say that every time we're in the same room."

Lily shook her head. "Then stop calling him a Death Eater!"

"I'm not calling him a death Eater because he's a Slytherin, Lily. I'm calling him a Death Eater because he's _actually_ a Death Eater. He swore an oath to Voldemort and he has a mark on his arm to prove it."

Lily paled. "You don't _know_ that."

"I do," James replied. "Please don't ask me how."

"So what, then? I'm just supposed to take your word for it?"

"Yes," James replied firmly. Lily had never seen him so serious.

"Look," she finally replied. "This isn't over. But it's our first day back and I really don't want to spend it fighting."

"Neither do I," James agreed.

"OK. So, then Death Eater or not, can we agree that – as Head Boy – you'll be the bigger person and just leave him alone?"

"By 'leave him alone,' you mean—"

"I mean no more throwing curses in the corridors."

"Yeah," James started. "About that—"

"Let me guess," Lily offered, rolling her eyes. "You _already_ cursed him in the corridor."

"I might have," James admitted shyly. "Once." He paused. "Well, technically, twice, but he started it."

Lily shook her head. "And I'm sure you didn't hesitate to show him your badge."

"Of course not," James agreed. "I felt it was my duty to be forthright."

"Right," Lily said. "And I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that he's wanted that badge since he was eleven."

"Has he now?" James asked. "How unfortunate for him then."

Lily glared at James. "Don't be a prat. He's worked hard. You shouldn't rub his face in it."

"I wasn't," James replied. "It's just that, I wouldn't have felt right docking him points without proper notice."

"You docked him points?" Lily asked, incredulous. "What for? You can't just go around docking house points because you feel like it. You need reasons!" she continued. "You need probable cause!"

"I had a reason. In fact, I had several."

"Oh, this should be good," Lily mumbled. "What were they then? And, before you say it, being a slimy, snivelly git doesn't count."

"So you agree, then, that he's a slimy, snivelly git? Don't take this the wrong way, Lily, but do you think I could get that in writing?"

"No," Lily said, narrowing her eyes in a glare. "Now, get on with these reasons!"

"Well," James started. "For one thing, he insulted my girlfriend."

At the word "girlfriend," Lily swallowed. Hard.

"You don't have a _girlfriend_."

"Of course I do," James argued. "Sexy little redhead with long legs and an incredible ass." As James said this, he moved closer to Lily and placed his arms around her waist, his hands daringly close to her backside. "She's pretty hard to miss – Head Girl even. I'm surprised you haven't seen her."

"No," Lily replied with a serious, though somewhat playful, expression. As she spoke, she looked down toward her waist where James's hands were resting and then glanced back up to look him in the eye. "Oddly enough, I don't recall seeing any sexy redheads who agreed to be your girlfriend."

"Hmm," James said, pursing his lips and removing one of his hands so that he could tap his cheek with the side of his finger. "Now that you mention it, she may not have _agreed_, per se. But she's definitely my girlfriend."

"James, you can't just _declare_ me your girlfriend." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "You have to _ask_, first."

"Would you say 'yes' if I asked?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Of course not, James. I'm Head Girl. I can't go out with a Marauder."

"Merlin, Lily, you're _already_ going out with a Marauder." He paused. "And that doesn't make sense. I'm Head Boy!"

Lily laughed. "Yes, that does complicate things."

"It doesn't complicate things, Lily. It makes them devastatingly simple. We're good together. We shouldn't have to hide it from our friends."

"Look, James, I know this is foreign to you, but some of us—" She paused. "Some of us actually have reputations to uphold."

James laughed, reaching his hands down lower and pulling Lily onto his lap. "And you think that dating me is going to tarnish your perfect reputation? Because I can think of better ways to—"

"For the sake of your own well-being," Lily interrupted. "You probably shouldn't finish that sentence."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Lils, lighten up a little. I'm not some dirty Slytherin. You should be proud."

"Proud?" she repeated quietly.

In truth, Lily _was_ proud. But she was also scared. Because James Potter stood for everything that she had spent the last six years advocating against. Lily was studious, and organized, and had worked hard for her grades. She'd spent weekends in the library writing potions essays and had struggled her way through transfiguration. James hadn't. He'd spent his weekends drinking butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks, flirting with Hufflepuffs, and roaming the castle with Sirius Black. And, truthfully, part of her envied him that. Because he was confident. And talented. And effortlessly sure of who he was and what he wanted. But it was one thing to admit that to herself. To admit that she'd always secretly admired James just as much as she'd hated him. Admitting it to her peers, however, was another matter entirely. After all, who could take her seriously as an authority figure – as Hogwarts Head Girl – if she was running around snogging the boy who'd served sixty-five detentions in his fifth year alone? He may be Head Boy now, but was still a Marauder, first and foremost. And it was certainly no secret, even to Lily, that James's loyalties were to Sirius Black above all else – no matter what title Dumbledore had been crazy enough to bestow upon him.

"Yes, proud," James agreed. "So proud, in fact, that you should want to shout it from Gryffindor Tower!" He paused and gave her an evil look. "Other girls would."

"Well," she said, sounding petty, and haughty, and a little annoyed. "I'm _not _other girls."

James kissed her then, pulling her closer so that she could wrap her arms around his neck and straddle his lap, as he leaned back against the compartment wall. And, like always, Lily felt herself shiver, reveling in the feel of him, and the taste of him, and the belated realization that they had been apart for far too long.

"No," he agreed, after a near-perfect kiss. "You're certainly not. But, frankly, if I'm going to shag the hottest Head Girl in Hogwarts, I want to be able to brag about it."

"James," Lily replied with a laugh. "I'm the _only_ Head Girl in Hogwarts." She paused. "And we _aren't_ shagging."

"Not yet," James corrected. "But that really isn't the point—"

"You're a troublemaker," Lily interrupted. "A big one. And part of me loves that about you. But that doesn't mean I'm ready to be James Potter's girlfriend."

James looked at Lily for a long moment before letting out a breath. "We don't have to tell anyone," he finally conceded, once again pulling her closer. "Not until you're ready." He kissed her quickly on the lips before pulling back slightly and moving his mouth towards her ear, nibbling briefly. "We don't have to tell them anything, but that doesn't mean you're not my girlfriend."


	2. Chapter 2

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter 2: The Sorting**

"So Lily," began Marlene McKinnon, as the last of the newly-sorted first years made her way to the Gryffindor table. "How was your summer? Mine was dreadful, if you were wondering.

"Dreadful?" Alice Prewett, Lily's only other Gryffindor friend, chimed in with a laugh. "It can't have been that bad. What about that great job you got at Florean Fortescue's? You know, the one that was going to give you, and I quote, 'front row access to all of the best-looking wizards in Hogwarts."

"Oh," Marlene said dramatically. "I was fired. After only three weeks, if you can believe it. Who knew that it was against company policy to sneak boys in through the Freezer."

"Oh, Marlene!" Alice exclaimed, as Lily erupted in giggles. "Tell me you didn't."

"No," Marlene said. "I did. Or tried to, anyway. I sort of got caught in the act by my boss and then…" She paused. "Well, you know."

"OK," Lily said. "But that's not _so_ bad. How was the rest of your summer?"

"Well," began Marlene. "Once the ice cream thing didn't pan out, Mum thought that I could benefit from an internship at the Ministry. As if that wasn't the absolute _last _place I wanted to spend my summer vacation!" Marlene paused and shook her head. "But enough about me," she continued. "Lily never answered my question."

"Oh, you know," Lily said casually. "Fought with Petunia, got sun burnt, spent some time in Muggle London, the usual."

"So," Alice said. "No muggle boys, then? I was hoping you'd find someone over the summer."

Lily smiled. "No, Alice," she replied, comforted by the thought that she wasn't lying in the slightest. "No muggle boys."

"Well that's a damn shame," said Marlene. "Can you imagine Potter's reaction if you came back to school with a muggle boyfriend? It'd be fantastic!"

Lily laughed. "I don't know if 'fantastic' is really the word I'd use." Smiling to herself, Lily threw a sideways glance towards the opposite end of the Gryffindor table, where James was sitting with Sirius Black and the rest of his little gang, which included Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

"Me neither," Alice agreed. "He'd go totally ballistic. It might even be worse than last year when Sirius Black attacked Snape—" Noticing the look on Lily's face, Alice abruptly cut off.

Although everyone had heard the rumors about the now-infamous fight between Sirius Black and Severus Snape that had landed Snape in the hospital wing for a month, while Sirius completed a semester's worth of detention, no one – except for the parties involved – really knew any of the details. And no one had been more upset by the whole fiasco than Lily, who somehow had blamed the whole situation on James, prompting him to practically blow up in the Great Hall in front of everyone, after which he had ignored both Lily and Sirius for the better part of a month. To this day, James still refused to talk to anyone, including Lily, about what had _really_ gone on that night.

"I'm sorry," Alice said, looking at Lily. "I didn't mean to bring that up. I know how much it upsets you."

"It's fine," Lily replied. "Don't worry about it." She paused. "But enough about Potter. How's Frank?"

"He's good!" Alice exclaimed, suddenly more animated than Lily had seen her all night. "He begins Auror training next week. And he just got this great little flat in—"

"You've seen his flat?" Marlene interjected with a wicked grin. "Does that mean you finally let him—"

"Marlene!" Lily interrupted. "That's none of your business. If Alice wanted to tell us about that, she would!"

"Hey," Marlene replied. "They've been dating _forever_! All I'm saying is, I think it's about time they—"

"No," Alice said, her face flushing scarlet. "Not yet. But we will. Soon, I think. Maybe this Christmas."

"Christmas!" Marlene shouted, incredulous. "Merlin, Alice, that's four months away."

Lily shook her head. "Leave her alone, Marlene. She just wants it to be special."

As Marlene replied and her and Alice continued their conversation, Lily glanced at James and smiled, thinking about her own reservations about taking their relationship to the next level. Lily hadn't been with James for nearly as long as Alice had been dating Frank Longbottom, but Lily knew what it was like to be scared to move forward, even when that was what she wanted more than anything. But they had time, Lily thought.

They'd first gotten together near the middle of June – after a frenzied, heart stopping kiss in the stone corridor outside the Room of Requirement. Lily had gone there in search of a quiet place to study and James had gone there in search of Lily. Looking back now, Lily wondered, not for the first time, how he had known where to find her, but this was James, after all, and no one – except maybe Sirius Black – knew the castle like he did.

At first, Lily had been surprised when he'd found her. She'd needed to finish a History of Magic essay – her last real assignment before classes broke for the summer – and James Potter was the absolute last person she'd wanted to see.

But then there he was. And, before she knew it, her back was pressed against the cold stone corridor wall, and he was kissing her. And touching her. And she was loving it like she'd never loved anything – liked she'd never been kissed, even though she had, once or twice, though never like that. And certainly never by someone like James, who had always made her feel so much anger, and attraction, and envy, and frustration, all at once, that he infuriated her, sometimes for no reason at all. And, yet, now that they were together, Lily sometimes had trouble imagining her life without him.

Because, sure, maybe things had started off a bit rocky after that first, incredible kiss. But, slowly, they'd found their rhythm. And then, once Lily had passed her apparation test, they'd spent countless days in Godric's Hallow, where James lived with his family, and a rather impressive amount of time in James's bed.

In fact, given the amount of time they'd spent together this past summer, it was something of a miracle that Sirius still wasn't suspicious of their relationship. After all, he'd practically moved in with the Potters last year. And before Lily and James had started dating, Lily could barely remember _ever_ seeing James without his best friend.

Concluding that they would have to be more careful around Sirius in the future, Lily quickly excused herself from the table and headed toward James. As Head Boy and Girl, it would be their responsibility to escort the younger students up to the Gryffindor common room once the feast officially ended.

As Lily approached the opposite end of the table, she noticed that James seemed very wrapped up in a conversation with his mates – the Marauders, as they called themselves. Stepping closer, she could just make out parts of their conversation.

"Come on Prongs," Sirius was saying. "Thursday's full moon. You'll have to find a way to skip out early. We'll meet you by the Womping Willow at midnight."

"Padfoot—" At the sight of Lily, James quickly cut off, looking a bit like a toddler who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Evans," he said suddenly, casting Sirius a stern glance, as if to say 'breath another word about the full moon and I'll hex you.' And, as if on cue, Sirius quickly turned around to face Lily.

"Ah, Evans!" he said cheerfully, flashing her an award-winning grin that only Sirius Black could pull off. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

Lily opened her mouth to speak, but before she could answer, James chimed in. "Be careful what you say, now Evans," he began in a mocking tone. "This is twice in one day that you've come looking for me. If you aren't careful, I might get the wrong idea and start thinking you like me."

As he finished, James flashed Lily a cheeky – and slightly adorable – smile, at which Lily briefly rolled her eyes. "First of all, _Potter,_" she replied with mock disgust. "I didn't come _looking_ for you. You _invaded_ my compartment completely unsolicited. Which is to say that if _anyone_ is stalking _anyone_, it certainly isn't _me_."

"Touché, darling," James replied with a grin. "What can we do for you?"

"We need to show the first years to the common room."

"Oh," James said. "Is that all?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Just meet me by the door in five minutes."

As soon as her back was turned, Sirius looked over at James. "Why do I feel like you're in trouble somehow?"

"I'm not sure," James replied slowly. "But I think she heard what you said about the full moon."


	3. Chapter 3

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter 3: Marauder's Map**

"We shouldn't be doing this," Lily said breathlessly, as James discarded her button-down shirt on the back of the common room sofa. "We'll miss dinner."

"I'm not hungry," James replied, sliding his hands down Lily's bare back and drawing her closer.

"And Slug Club," Lily added stubbornly, though – truth be told – she could feel her resistance dwindling with each passing second.

After all, their first day of NEWT classes hadn't been easy, and Lily could imagine nothing more soothing than spending the evening with James.

"Sorry," James laughed, pulling back from the kiss with a bemused expression. "Was that supposed to convince me?"

"It should," Lily admonished playfully. "I'm President."

James shook his head. "Well, of course you are," he replied with mock admiration, even if he hated everything the Slug Club stood for. "But," James continued slowly, inching his mouth closer to Lily's and gently sliding his hand along the side of her jaw. "I'm sure they'll manage without you just this once."

As James reached down and began to tug at Lily's skirt, Lily abruptly pulled out of the kiss. "Hold on," she said, breathing hard as she sat up on her knees. "If we're going to ditch dinner, we'll need an alibi."

"What the hell for?" James asked. "Skipping dinner isn't a crime, Lily."

"Yes, but this won't be you and Sirius skipping dinner to pull some prank," Lily corrected. "It'll be you and me, which is suspicious, since everyone still thinks I hate you."

"So we'll tell them we were doing official Head business."

Lily rolled her eyes. If it was up to James, they would use that excuse every night. "_Your _friends may be completely dense when it comes to our relationship, but mine won't be. 'Official Head business' is _not _a believable excuse."

"Hmm," James replied, slightly irritated by Lily's not-so-subtle dig at the Marauders. "I think you're overestimating Marlene's power of deduction. There's a reason she's not in Ravenclaw, you know."

Shaking her head, Lily quickly swung her legs around the side of the sofa and picked up her discarded button-down. "Just wait here for a second, OK? I have an idea."

Without waiting for an answer, Lily slipped her shirt onto her arms and turned away from James.

"Oh, no you don't," James said, quickly jumping up from his place on the sofa. When he reached Lily, he gently slipped the sides of her button-down back over her shoulders so that, once again, Lily was standing in front of him in only a scarlet lace bra and her pleated Hogwarts skirt, looking very much like she belonged on the cover of a naughty magazine. "Do you know how long it took me to undo all those buttons?"

Lily looked at James, incredulous. "Considering you only undid the first three before you yanked the whole thing over my head, I'd guess about 15 seconds."

"So I'm impatient," James said defensively. "Sue me. Pulling it was efficient. And," he added pointedly, "You loved it."

"I might have," Lily agreed with a wicked smile. "But I'm going to need that back."

"Sorry," James said, holding up the offending garment and shaking his head. "But this stays off. House rules."

Briefly, Lily rolled her eyes. Since they were in the Heads' common room, James technically had no more right to make house rules without her consent than she did without his, but she didn't argue. Her room was just at the end of the hall, and once she got there, she could always put on something that James would have even more difficulty taking off later, which would certainly serve him right.

Leaving James on the sofa, Lily headed for her bedroom. Before she was halfway there, however, Lily ran right, smack, into the tall, muscular figure of Sirius Black as she rounded a corner.

After a moment of shocked silence where neither of them spoke, Sirius looked down and smiled.

"Evans," he said, looking smug. "Nice rack."

Folding her arms across her chest protectively, Lily silently cursed James and his stupid aversion to buttons. This was by far the most mortifying moment of her life and it was All. His. Fault.

"Sirius," Lily replied. "What the hell are you doing here?" These were the heads' dorms after all. And unless James was an absolute idiot and had told him where to find the common room AND had given him the password, both of which were strictly forbidden, Sirius's presence should have been impossible.

"Personally, Evans, I think I'd rather know where you got that outfit." Sirius peered behind Lily into the Heads' common room. At the sight of a tall figure looming in the darkness, Lily's state of undress began to take on a new – and utterly nauseating – significance. And suddenly, all the humor and lightheartedness vanished from his voice. "Hold on," he said furiously. "Do you have _a guy_ in there?"

"That's none of your business," Lily replied sternly.

"Well," Sirius said, fuming. "I guess you won't mind then, if I have a look for myself."

"No way," Lily replied, moving in front of Sirius so that he couldn't enter the common room. "Who I invite into my room is _my_ business. And," Lily added pointedly. "You still haven't explained what you're doing here."

Sirius looked dumbfounded. "I was looking for James. You know, the bloke who's practically in love with you."

"He's not here," Lily said quickly.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed. "I kind of got that."

"Well then what's your problem?"

"Don't play dumb, Evans. You know how James feels about you. And then the second he steps out of the room, you—" Sirius paused. "If James ever found out about this—"

"I know," Lily cut in. "Which is why you aren't going to tell him."

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "That's not an option," he replied. "I'm not lying to my best friend just to cover up your—"

"Look," Lily said firmly. "I know you don't like me. And, frankly, I'm not your biggest fan either. But we both know that James—" Lily paused, realizing her mistake. As far as Sirius knew, Lily never called James by his first name. After clearing her throat, Lily continued. "What I mean is, I think we both know that it would be better for everyone – yourself included – if Potter didn't find out about this."

"No deal," Sirius replied. "James is like a brother to me. And I'm sick of watching you use him as your own personal punching bag."

"I'm sorry you feel that way. But telling him about _this_ isn't going to change anything. And it certainly isn't going to help anyone – especially not you."

Sirius glared at her. "That's the difference between you and me, Evans. I'm not completely selfish."

"I'm selfish because I don't want to hurt him?"

"But you _do_ hurt him," Sirius explained. "Every time you reject him without even getting to know him – without ever giving him the chance to prove that he's not what you think." Sirius paused. "The truth is, you don't deserve him, Evans. Not even a little bit."

Lily felt her eyes sting. "And you do?" she asked.

Sirius smiled sadly. "No," he conceded. "I don't deserve him either. But at least _I _can admit it."

As Sirius spoke, his eyes bore into Lily's, and for an instant, she considered coming clean and telling him everything. That was what James wanted, after all. And she'd be lying if she said that part of her didn't want that too. But a second later, Sirius shook his head, and just like that, Lily decided against it.

"Just tell him I stopped by, OK?" Sirius said after a moment. "We have some stuff we need to figure out."

Lily nodded slowly, silently wondering what Sirius wanted with James and whether it had anything to do with the full moon she'd heard him mention at the sorting. Although she'd intended to ask James what Sirius had meant last night, she still hadn't managed to find the right time — mostly because James himself was a world-class distraction.

After Lily agreed to pass on the message, Sirius turned back the way he'd come and exited the heads' dorms through the portrait hole.

The second Sirius was gone, James approached Lily from the opposite direction.

"He didn't mean any of that, you know. He's just protective."

Lily quickly wiped her eyes and then turned slowly toward James. "I'm honestly more upset by the fact that Sirius Black just saw me naked."

"Half naked," James corrected. "And it's your own fault. If you'd just let me tell him about us in the first place, he never would have come barging in here looking for me."

"My fault?" Lily repeated. "And just how did he get the password, James? I know I didn't give it to him."

"You think I told him?" James asked.

Lily's silence said everything. "Come on, Lils. You really think I want him walking in while we're—" James abruptly cut off and made an odd gesture with his hands. "You know."

Getting the picture, Lily shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. "Well," she said finally. "Do you have a better explanation?"

James paused. "You're not going to like it."

"Try me," Lily pushed.

"I think it may have been the map," James mumbled evasively.

"Sorry," Lily said. "The what?"

"The Marauder's Map," James explained. "It shows every room, person, and passage in Hogwarts. Even the secret ones. That's how we first found the kitchens. And most of the hidden rooms and corridors." He paused. "It basically knows everything about the castle. So if you ask the right question."

"It tells you how to get in," Lily finished.

"Right," James agreed. "Though, if he'd had it on him right then, he would have known that it was me in the common room, so he must have gotten the password earlier."

"How would he have known it was you?" Lily asked skeptically.

"It tracks every person in the castle by marking his or her location with a dot. So if he were to look at it now, he'd see two dots, labeled James Potter and Lily Evans, standing in the Heads' Common Room."

For a moment, Lily looked thoughtful. "So, if he were to look at the map later tonight—"

"He'd see where we were," James clarified.

"And if I was in your bed, instead of my own?" Lily pressed.

James swallowed, not liking where this conversation was going. "That would show up on the map."

"OK," Lily said. "New plan."

"We stop this stupid charade and go public before Sirius finds out on his own and kills me?" James tried.

"No," Lily corrected. "We get our hands on that map."


	4. Chapter 4

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter 4: Incognito**

"I can't tonight," James said, pulling his Quidditch robes up over the back of his head. "I have a prior engagement."

It'd been three days since Lily had decided to steal the Marauder's Map, but James seemed to be avoiding it at every turn.

"A prior engagement," Lily repeated skeptically, blatantly eyeing James's bare torso as she casually leaned back against his bedroom door. "That wouldn't include, say, meeting Sirius by the Whomping Willow at midnight, now would it?"

James sighed. "So you did hear us at dinner last week. I figured as much, what with all of your ridiculous snooping." James smiled. "Really, Lils, do I look like someone who keeps his secrets hidden in his sock drawer?"

Lily glanced at James in awe. She'd been so quiet! And she'd been so certain that he'd still been asleep! "How—" Lily started, recovering her voice as she spoke. "How in the world do you know about that?"

James huffed, indignantly. "Well, you weren't exactly stealth about it, were you?"

"I thought you were asleep! Were you—" She paused. "Were you pretending to be asleep so you could spy on me?"

"Hold on," James said. "You get caught snooping around in _my_ bedroom, and I'm the one who's spying? Forgive me if I don't follow your logic, Lils, but that's a little unreasonable. If there was something you wanted to know, you could have just asked."

"Ok then," Lily agreed. "Who is Sirius planning to prank tonight at the Whombing Willow?"

"No one," James said honestly. "This isn't like that."

"Oh yeah?" Lily asked, approaching James and sliding her arms smoothly around his still-bare waist. "Then what's it like?"

Slowly, James drew in a breath. "It's not a prank, Lils. I promise." As James spoke, he placed a finger underneath Lily's chin and tugged gently, prompting her to meet his eyes.

"So, then, you're _not _planning to cast some horrible hex on Severus?" Lily asked innocently. "Because you know how I feel about—"

"No," James replied. "It's nothing like that. It's just—" James groaned, frustrated. "I want to tell you," he started. "But it's really not my secret to tell."

"Then who's secret is it?" Lily asked, biting her bottom lip in the way that James loved.

"I can't tell you that either."

"Well, then, what _can_ you tell me?" Lily asked coyly. "I need _something_. Otherwise, I might be tempted to do more investigating."

At the word _investigating_, James froze. That simply wasn't an option. Not with this. Not when the stakes were so high. And especially not after they had so nearly averted disaster last spring when Snape had decided to do some snooping of his own.

"No," James said sternly. "No investigating. Not tonight. Promise me that you won't leave the castle until I get back."

"No deal," Lily said playfully. "I have a map to find. With or without your help."

"I'll get you the map." James offered, all lightheartedness completely drained from his voice. "Whatever you want. Just promise you won't come outside."

Lily narrowed her eyes. "Just what are you involved in, James? If it's something dangerous—"

"It's not," James interrupted. "Not as long as we don't get caught." He paused. "But if you come outside, I don't even want to think about what could happen."

"I don't," Lily started. "I don't understand what you mean."

"I know," James said, reaching his hands under Lily's school robes and pulling her closer. "And I hate that—" James paused, finally glancing down at the tight black leotard Lily had on under her cloak. "What are you wearing?" He asked, slightly confused. "Is that—" James smiled. "Is that a _catsuit_?"

At the look on James's face, Lily threw her head back and laughed, feeling both sexy – and a little bit sheepish – at the same time.

"Maybe," Lily admitted. "I was trying to look incognito. You know," she clarified. "For when we stole the Marauder's Map."

"Time out," James said. "You actually own a catsuit?"

"Of course not," Lily replied. "I transfigured it from an old pair of gym shorts! Isn't it great?"

"Sure," James agreed. "Very sexy. I think, though, that since I'll be handling the map situation from now on, it might be best to get that off of you before it cuts off your circulation. I can help if you'd like. I happen to have some spare time before rounds. And between the two of us, you're way overdressed."

Fighting the overwhelming urge to melt into James's arms, Lily shrugged. "Just get back the map, James, and then maybe I'll let you undress me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling. **

**Chapter 5: Missing**

"OK," Lily said to herself. "You can do this." It was only _one_ little conversation, after all. How hard could it be?

Alright, who was she kidding? This wasn't just _any_ conversation. This was a conversation with Sirius Black. The same Sirius Black who hated her. And who had practically seen her naked not three days before. And who had mocked her for it, with no sign of guilt or remorse, and had then proceeded to call her selfish.

But, really, what choice did she have? James was missing. And, in all likelihood, Sirius Black was the only other person in Hogwarts who knew where to find him.

And so, with shaking hands and clenched fists, Lily moved forward, steadily placing one foot in front of the other until she was face-to-face with the only wizard in Hogwarts – other than Lucius Malfoy and his stupid Slytherin cronies – who actually hated her.

And once she got there, she froze.

Sirius, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected by her presence.

"Well," he said cheekily, once Lily was standing in earshot. "If it isn't my favorite little Gryffindor siren. I'd compliment your attire, but frankly I think you looked better without it." Sirius smirked. "Rough night?"

When Lily didn't respond, Sirius continued. "Come on," he goaded. "You can trust me. That secret boyfriend of yours keep you up?"

Truth be told, Sirius wasn't that far off the mark. Lily _did_ look like hell. And she had certainly had a rough night.

In fact, she'd waited up for James for most of it and then had finally fallen asleep in his bed around 5 in the morning. When she awoke the next day, she had half-expected to find him under the covers beside her, having climbed in without her noticing while she slept. But, of course, it hadn't happened that way.

Instead, she'd woken alone, and – over the course of the next several hours – had become increasingly worried as James had missed breakfast, and Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts, and finally Transfiguration, without so much as a word.

Interestingly, Remus Lupin had also been missing all morning, but of course that wasn't too surprising. It was common knowledge at Hogwarts that Remus's mother was sick and that, every month or so, Remus was called back home, fearing the worst.

The fact that Sirius had been in both DADA and Transfiguration – looking a little worse for the wear, but generally alive and healthy and striking as ever – had given Lily a small bit of comfort these past few hours, but, frankly, she'd had enough of this senseless waiting. So, one way or another, she was getting some answers. And no one – not even Sirius Black and his stupid, juvenile insults – was going to stop her.

"Actually," Lily replied, purposefully ignoring all of Sirius's vile accusations. "I was wondering if you knew where Potter was. I noticed he wasn't in class today and it's his turn to do rounds after dinner. So if he's sick or whatever, that's fine, but I just need to know so I can arrange a replacement."

Sirius shrugged. "I'm not his keeper, Evans. I don't know where he is every second." Briefly, Sirius paused as though measuring his options, and then continued. "But you might try the head dorms. I left him on the common room sofa this morning with a broken leg and strict instructions to medicate hourly. He should be fine by tomorrow, but you might want to go ahead and find that replacement. Last I checked, he still couldn't walk. Not that you care."

Lily bit her lip and tried – probably in vain – to seem indifferent to Sirius's taunting. Deep down, she knew that he was only defending James and, for that, Lily was grateful. But, even so, it was hard to ignore his comments completely.

"And exactly how did his leg get broken?" Lily asked finally.

"Moving staircase, fifth floor." Sirius replied without missing a beat.

"Really?" Lily asked. "And when was this?"

"This morning," Sirius replied without hesitation. "On our way to breakfast. The damn thing came out of nowhere."

Sirius was lying. James had gone to the Whomping Willow last night and hadn't come back. Of that, Lily was certain. But if she hadn't known better… Lily shook her head. Sirius was one hell-of-a liar. And, frankly, it was more than a little unnerving.

"I can show you if you'd like." Sirius continued, apparently somewhat perturbed by Lily's silence. "The White Knight in the portrait saw everything. I'm sure he'd be willing provide statement if you don't believe me."

Once again, Lily knew that Sirius was lying. And she was fairly certain that _he knew_ that _she knew_ he was lying. But she played along nonetheless. After all, Sirius had given her what she'd come for: confirmation that James was alive, and safe, and basically well. And, for now, that was enough.

"I'm sure he would," Lily replied sarcastically. "But that won't be necessary. I'll talk to Alice about rounds. Thanks for your help."

Without waiting for a reply, Lily turned on her heel and walked swiftly away from Sirius. Then, once she was certain she couldn't be seen, she bolted in the direction of the head students common room in search of James.

* * *

><p>"James," Lily called loudly as she entered the head dorms. "Are you in here?"<p>

"Over here," a muffled voice called from the opposite side of the couch.

Smiling widely, Lily lunged across the common room towards James. Although part of her was tempted to jump onto the couch beside him, Lily held herself back when she saw him. His eyes were closed tightly and his body was strewn haphazardly across the common room sofa with his left leg propped up on an armrest and both hands tangled together over his forehead, which was a sickly pale gray.

At the sound of Lily's approach, James opened his eyes and when he saw who his visitor was, he grinned. "Lily—" He mumbled quietly. "I missed you."

"Yeah?" Lily asked. "Well, you scared the hell out of me. I thought you were dead." And if she was honest, part of her still worried he might be. _Were live people ever that pale?_

"Nope," James replied. "Just tired."

"I can see that," Lily replied with a smile. "Sirius told me you broke your leg." She paused. "He claims you were attacked by a moving staircase."

James snorted. "Well, I _did _break my leg. And it _did_ happen on a staircase. But the only thing _moving_ was Padfoot."

"Padfoot?" Lily questioned. "Isn't that your nickname for Sirius?"

"Exactly," James said. "Lousy mutt knocked me down two flights of stairs and didn't even apologize."

At the word 'mutt,' Lily knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. What the hell was James saying?

"What's wrong with you?" Lily asked then. "Are you—" She paused, finally taking in his strange, glazed-over eyes, and drew in a breath. "Merlin, James, are you _high_?"

"No," James replied quickly. "Well, maybe. I had some Pepper-Up Potion this morning and—" James closed his eyes. "Honestly, the room's been spinning ever since."

"Pepper-up Potion?" Lily repeated. "That's impossible. Your ears would be smoking. Are you sure that's what it was? Where's the bottle?"

"Over there," James said, clumsily pointing to a rather large pile of empty potion bottles on a table by the fireplace. "The purple one." He clarified. "Sirius nicked it from the infirmary this morning."

Lily walked over to the table, picked up the purple bottle, and examined the label. "This isn't Pepper-Up Potion, James. It's Invigoration Drought."

"Right," James agreed, waving his hand dismissively. "That's what I meant."

Forgetting herself for a moment, Lily laughed. "You really are awful at potions, you know that?"

"Sure do," James said. "Potions are for Slytherins." He paused. "And beautiful redheads. Obviously."

"Such a charmer," Lily replied. "You said Sirius got this from the infirmary?"

When James nodded, Lily lifted the top off the bottle and brought it up to her nose, inhaling. "Well judging by the smell, I'd say it's pretty potent. Exactly how much did you drink?"

"About half the purple bottle," James explained. "And maybe a few sips from the blue and red bottles as well."

"You mixed them?" Lily asked quickly, grabbing the red bottle and raising it to her nose. "Do you have any idea what this is?"

"No," James admitted. "But I'm guessing I wasn't supposed to do that."

Lily shook her head. "Didn't you pay attention at all last year? We did a whole unit on healing potions. Remember: Purple and red will go to your head, take green to grow, and pink to shrink, yellow to mellow, and blue to—"

Abruptly, James burst out laughing, but then winced and grabbed at his stomach in pain. "You're joking, right? There's actually a mnemonic for healing potions?"

Lily huffed. "Honestly, James, it's a miracle you passed your OWLs!"

"Who said anything about passing?" James asked in mock seriousness.

Noticing the shocked expression on Lily's face, James grinned. "Oh, come on, Lils. I'm joking. Of course I passed. I'm Head Boy!"

"Not for long," Lily said icily. "You cut three classes today, James. And Merlin knows what you were up to last night. At the rate you're going, you'll be expelled before Christmas."

"I didn't cut," James protested. "I was incapacitated."

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "But whose fault is that? You took stolen medication without the supervision of a trained physician after a forbidden – and probably illegal – all-night adventure with your _idiot_ friends." Lily rolled her eyes. "Some Head Boy you're turning into. Honestly, James, keeping secrets is one thing, but this—" Lily shook her head. "This isn't what I signed up for."

As Lily's words registered, James's eyes flashed with anger and hurt.

"Not to be a dick, Lils, but do you think we could have this conversation some other time? I feel like I'm going to die. And, believe it or not, hearing that I suck as Head Boy – and at being your boyfriend – really isn'helping."

"Yeah," Lily said, realizing that, once again, James was right – this really _wasn't _the time to complain that James wasn't perfect. And, anyway, who was she kidding? They both knew that she was crazy about him. Despite all his faults. Or maybe because of them. And in the face of all that, what else really mattered?

"We'll talk later," she continued. "In the meantime, let's get you up. I'm taking you to Madame Pomfrey."


	6. Chapter 6

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter 6: The Hospital Wing**

"James, you oaf, you have to walk!" Lily shouted impatiently. They were on their way to the hospital wing, and – between James's broken leg and the potions mishap that had rendered him half-unconscious and babbling like an idiot – he was virtually immobile. "I can't carry you on my own!"

In response, James only slumped further onto Lily's shoulder, then opened his eyes – which were now perfectly aligned with Lily's collarbone – and muttered something unintelligible about her cleavage.

"James Potter!" Lily snapped. "I swear to Merlin—"

"Aw, not this again, Evans," a familiar voice interjected from across the corridor. "Cut the prudish crap, OK? It's nothing he hasn't seen before."

In a moment of sheer panic, Lily froze. _Did Sirius know about them? Had James told him?_ Lily scowled. _That idiot! If he weren't half comatose_ _right now_... Lily shook her head. _For the time being, it was probably best to play this safe_.

"Sirius," Lily warned. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, come on Evans. Don't play dumb. He may be completely obsessed with you, but you're certainly not the first girl who's let him look down her shirt."

"Black!" Lily sputtered. "I wasn't letting him look down my shirt!"

"Yes you were," James interrupted cheekily. His speech was slow, and slurred, and a little bit shaky, but Lily was happy to note that he was still well enough to push her buttons.

"But I'm allowwwwed." James continued, turning toward his friend and then pointing a finger at Lily. "She's my girrrfffriend."

At the word girlfriend – or something that sounded suspiciously like it – Sirius glanced at Lily and raised an eyebrow. "Is she now? I must say, Evans, you do move _fast_."

"Oh, shove off Black. He's _delusional_. He mixed healing potions – no thanks to you! – and now he's gone and lost his damn mind!"

"Hang on a second, Evans. There's no way you're pinning all of that—" Sirius motioned toward James "—on me. How do I know this wasn't your doing? You live together. And you _hate_ him. And he was _fine_ when I left him this morning."

"Fine?" Lily asked, incredulous. "Sirius, you knocked him down a flight of stairs and then left him – James Potter, the world's most incompetent potions student – with enough sleeping drought to debilitate an army! How could that possibly end up fine?"

"Merlin, Evans! I didn't tell him to drink the whole bottle! He was just supposed to sit tight and sleep off the pain while his bones healed up."

"Oh, right," Lily bit back icily. "Because that's just so much better—"

"Uh, guys," James interrupted. "I don't… I don't feel so…" Before he could finish the thought, Lily felt James go limp at her side.

"Merlin, Sirius, don't just stand there! Help me! Grab his arm or something! He's unconscious."

In response, Sirius only shook his head and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Muggleborns" before reaching into his pocket and retrieving his wand. Suddenly, Lily felt an immense weight lift from her shoulder as Sirius began to levitate James.

As Lily observed James in the air above her, a wave of mixed emotions swept over her. On the one hand, she was grateful to Sirius for remembering his training (and his wand). And on the other, she was furious – not so much at Sirius, despite his snide remark about her blood status – but mostly at herself for being so dense. Of all the times to forget to use magic, this had to be the absolute worst!

"Stop gaping, Evans, it really isn't attractive." Sirius said coolly, then paused. "Are you coming or not? We don't have all day."

"Yeah," Lily spluttered, still a bit dumbfounded by her own incompetence. "I'm right behind you."

* * *

><p>"Ms. Evans, Mr. Black – it's nice to see you're both still here." Madam Pomfrey smiled briefly at Lily and Sirius and then quickly closed the curtain around James's hospital bed so that they were effectively segregated. "I've placed Mr. Potter in a magical coma to hasten the healing process. His leg is broken in two places and his knee cap is a bit damaged as well." When Madam Pomfrey paused, Lily took the opportunity to glare at Sirius. This was entirely <em>his fault<em>, after all. "But if all goes well, he should be walking again in no time."

"So what now?" Lily asked anxiously, returning her gaze to the healer. "Can we see him?"

"I'm afraid not," Madam Pomfrey replied. "He'll be in extraordinary pain for the next hour or so while his bones realign, but thanks to the magical coma he shouldn't feel anything until he wakes up."

"And when will that be?" Lily prompted, as Sirius raised a skeptical eyebrow at Lily's apparent eagerness to see James awake.

"Well," Madam Pomfrey began. "That all depends on what he took before the fever set in. If we could figure out precisely what he ingested, that would be helpful. As a medical matter, it's hard to treat what we don't understand."

"Of course," Lily agreed. "I brought the bottles I found in his room. I'm not entirely sure what – or how much – he took, but you could start there, couldn't you?"

At her mention of the potions bottles, Lily noticed Sirius visibly stiffen beside her. But Lily promptly ignored him and handed the bottles to Madam Pomfrey, who quickly set them in a line on the table and then held each bottle up to the light and frowned.

"These potions are marked with the Hogwarts crest, Miss Evans. Dare I ask how they found their way into Mr. Potter's possession?" Madam Pomfrey paused and pursed her lip, then glanced pointedly at Sirius. "Mr. Black, perhaps _you_ have a theory?"

Following the healer's lead, Lily turned her gaze on Sirius and raised an eyebrow, expecting him to fess up now that it appeared he'd been caught. Instead, however, Sirius simply feigned innocence and glared at Lily with eyes so dark that Lily actually felt herself flinch.

When it became clear that Sirius had no intention of admitting to the theft, Lily frowned and gritted her teeth, knowing what she had to do next. Sirius may have been willing to throw James under the bus to save his own sorry ass, but Lily certainly wasn't. James simply meant too much to her.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," Lily finally replied. "But I'm afraid they're mine. I borrowed them from Professor Slughorn at the end of last term when we were doing a unit on healing potions and forgot to return them."

"Miss Evans?" Madam Pomfrey prompted. "You expect me to believe that _you _gave Mr. Potter these potions and allowed him to mix them?"

"Well, no." Lily blushed. "That was all James. He must have found them in my caldron – I keep it in our common room and James knows I keep a small flask of invigoration drought and a few other potions on hand for emergencies. I've let him borrow them before, but I never imagined he'd mix them." Lily paused, mostly for dramatic effect, and then slowly bowed her head. "It was irresponsible," she added quietly. "And I'm sorry."

At that, Madam Pomfrey nodded slightly and then smiled sympathetically at Lily. "It's alright, dear. These things happen." She paused. "Even to the best of us. Now sit tight for a moment while I run a few tests."

As soon as Madam Pomfrey was out of the room, Lily let out a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding. She'd never lied to a professor before and, frankly, it was invigorating. No wonder James was such a troublemaker!

Her momentary high was quickly cut short, however, by the sound of Sirius clapping.

"Well, bravo, Evans," he cheered sarcastically. "I must say, that was quite the performance." He paused. "Of course, it would have been totally unnecessary if you'd just had the good sense not to hand over _our entire stash_ of _healing potions_, but I suppose I should be grateful—"

"_The_ _good sense?_" Lily repeated incredulously. "Surely you're kidding! James could have _died_, Sirius. If I hadn't found him when I did… And he'd continued to take those stupid potions..." Lily paused. "I don't even want to think about it. He's in a coma, for Merlin's sake! And handing over those potions was our best shot at helping him! So don't tell me it was stupid. Because it wasn't. And don't tell me I shouldn't have done it. Because I'd do it again in a second if I thought it would help." Lily paused again. "And _you_ should be ashamed of yourself!"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "He's in a _magical coma_, not a real one, Evans. Do you know how many magical comas James has been in since he's been at Hogwarts?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Thirteen. He's broken at least two bones a year since we've been here, mostly from quidditch. But don't pretend for a second that you care. Because you don't. And if you want to help him so badly, just leave him alone and give him a chance to get over you. Because liking you – or loving you – or _whatever you call it _– is killing him. Much more than any stupid healing potion. And, frankly, I'm sick of it."

"Fair enough," Lily said shortly. "You can hate me if you want to. But I want you to remember that when James was hurt because of injuries _you caused_, _I_ was the one who helped him. And that when Madam Pomfrey figured out those potions were stolen, _you_ were the one who was ready to let James take the fall. So next time you want to start _throwing out accusations_, you might want to start by taking a good look in the mirror, Sirius Black. Because you might not like what you see."


	7. Chapter 7

**Against All Odds**

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**Chapter 7: Werewolf**

"Lily? Is that you?"

"Remus!" Lily exclaimed, yanking her hands free of James's and quickly sliding down off of his hospital bed. "You scared me." She said breathlessly. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

Realizing he was right, Lily flushed scarlet. "I… " She started, but then shook her head. Given the circumstances, lying was _clearly_ the best option. "Professor Dumbledore asked me to check in on James."

Remus raised an eyebrow. "At two in the morning?"

"Well, no," Lily admitted. "But I was worried. And I thought he might be awake."

"You were worried?" Remus repeated pointedly. "About _James_? Who are you and what have you done with Lily Evans?"

"Shut up," Lily replied. "And stop deflecting. You haven't exactly explained what _you're_ doing here either, Remus."

Remus grinned sheepishly and raised his right hand, revealing a bright yellow hospital band. "I'm admitted." He explained. "I was on my way to the loo when I saw you."

"Oh," Lily replied. "And I suppose _you_ were hit by a moving staircase as well?"

"A moving staircase?" Remus laughed. "Give me some credit, Lily. I'm not a first year."

Lily smirked. She _knew_ Sirius had been lying earlier. "Care to tell me what really happened to James then?"

"Sorry," Remus replied. "But I didn't see it. You'll have to ask him."

"I already did," Lily explained, frustrated. "He told me Sirius knocked him down a flight of stairs." She paused. "And then he called him a lousy mutt."

"Did he now?" Remus asked. "And when was this?"

"Around lunchtime. Right after he overdosed on healing potions."

Remus smiled. "I guess I missed a lot while I was in here?"

"You could say that. Look, I don't mean to be a buzz kill, but if the bunch of you are doing something illegal—"

"It's not like that," Remus replied quickly.

Lily nodded. "That's what James said. But I'm not a fool, Remus. I know he's lying. I just can't figure out why."

"OK," Remus conceded. "It might be slightly illegal. But James and Sirius and Pete, they're doing it for me." He paused. "To help me. So, please don't hold it against them. Especially James. He's a good friend and he really does care about you."

"What could they possibly be helping you with in the middle of the night?"

It's—" Remus paused. "It's hard to explain."

"Remus, you know that you can tell me anything." And she meant it – he could.

"Not this, Lily."

Lily glanced up at him then, and she could see torment in his eyes. He _wanted _to tell her, she knew that he did.

"Remus, I swear. I just want to help."

"I know," Remus assured her. "But this isn't something you can fix."

"I hate that you think you can't trust me. I know I'm not a Marauder, but I do consider you a friend, Remus. And if you ever _do _want someone to tell, I'm here. "

"I'm sorry, I can't," Remus replied. "You'll never look at me the same."

"Remus, there's nothing you can say that would make me think any less of you. You're one of the best people I know, even if you do spend far too much time with Sirius Black."

Remus smiled sadly. "You only think that because you don't know the truth."

"No, I think that because I know you, Remus. And I know that you could never do anything bad."

"I'm a werewolf, Lily."

"A werewolf!" Lily exclaimed. "So that's what Sirius meant about the full moon!" She laughed. "I can't believe I didn't think of it myself."

"So," Remus started. "You're not—" He paused. "You're not afraid of me?"

"Afraid of you?" Lily asked. "Remus, why in the world would I be afraid of you?"

"Because I'm a monster!"

Lily looked at Remus. "Have you ever hurt anyone?"

"Well, no, but—"

"You see, you're hardly a Monster, Remus."

"But not for a lack of trying, Lily. You have no idea what it's like – the full moon. I'm not myself. I become this vicious, horrible thing that _wants_ to hurt people, and I can't do anything to stop it."

"But you just said it yourself, Remus. You can't control it. It's not your fault this happens to you!"

Remus smiled. "James and Sirius said the same thing." And just like that, Lily was brought crashing back to reality.

"Oh my god, are James and Sirius—"

"No!" Remus replied quickly, realizing what Lily had been about to ask. "Of course not."

"But Remus, I heard them! I heard them talking about going to the Whomping Willow at midnight the night of the full moon!" She paused. "Is that where you go to – to change? To the Whomping Willow?"

Remus nodded. "There's a passage underneath it. It leads to the Shrieking Shack."

"Hah!" Lily replied. "I told Marlene it wasn't haunted!"

"No," Remus agreed sheepishly. "That was me."

Lily grinned. "So, then, if _you_ went to the Whomping Willow to change, and Sirius and James aren't werewolves, what exactly were they doing there?"

"Helping me," Remus said simply.

"That isn't exactly specific, Remus."

Remus shook his head sadly. "I told you _my_ secret, Lily. Because you're my friend, and you asked, and I trust you. But if you want to know the rest, you'll have to ask them."


End file.
